Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Putin's Stage

Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin loves being the
center of attention. And his decision not to extradite fugitive Edward
Snowden to the United States has now found him at the center of an
East-West standoff.

Putin is an expert in espionage. In 1975, Putin began his 16-year
career with the KGB. Among his duties were spying on foreigners and
counselor officials in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. His experiences
were beneficial to his meteoric rise through Russia's hierarchy to
become Russia's most powerful figure. For more than a decade he has
ruthlessly ruled his country, and leveraged his power to maintain
Russia's standing as one of the world's leading powers.

President Putin enjoys his place on the world stage. But his country
is plagued by corruption and human rights abuses. Information is
power, and the Russian government is a master at monitoring dissenting
voices. Yet Putin's approval rating among Russians is high, in part
because Russia has reasserted itself in global affairs, according to
some observers.

On Tuesday, Putin gave the first direct confirmation that Edward
Snowden was in an international transit area at the Moscow airport.
“Mr. Snowden is a free man," Putin said, according to Russian news
services, "The faster he chooses his ultimate destination, the better
for us and for him.” Snowden is thought to be carrying a mother lode of
U.S. intelligence information. But Putin said Russia's security
services, “are not engaged with him and will not be engaged.” Really?

The Russian president said he would not extradite Snowden to the U.S.
“As for the issue of the possibility of extradition,” Mr. Putin said,
“we can only send back some foreign nationals to the countries with
which we have the relevant international agreements on extradition. With
the United States we have no such agreement.”

Putin seemed to be supportive of Snowden, and of WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange. "Assange and Snowden consider themselves human rights
activists and say they are fighting for the spread of information." He
continued, "Ask yourself this: should you hand these people over so they
will be put in prison?" He concluded, "In any case, I'd rather not
deal with such questions, because anyway it's like shearing a pig – lots
of screams but little wool."

Putin's position is outrageous when weighed against the fact that so
many Russian dissidents are in prison. For instance, some members of
the punk-rock band Pussy Riot were imprisoned for staging a guerrilla
performance in a Moscow cathedral. It led to a music video entitled,
"Punk Prayer - Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!"

Putin has snubbed the West on a number of international issues. He
has continued to support beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in
that country's civil war, in the face of calls for his removal by the
West. That civil war has resulted in 90,000 deaths. Russia maintains a
naval base in Syria, and has long had a close alliance with the Assad
regime. Putin recently said that there is no proof Syria used chemical
weapons on its own people, despite the preponderance of evidence they
did. And he opposes U.S. efforts to arm the Syrian rebels. Last week,
he said, "If the United States ... recognizes one of the key Syrian
opposition organizations, al-Nusra, as terrorist ... how can one deliver
arms to those opposition members?"

The story is the same in Iran, long a close Russian ally. Putin
congratulated the newly elected President of Iran, Hassan Rowhani, and
promised to expand bilateral relations with that government. Iran is
currently arming Assad's regime in Syria, as well as Lebanon's Hezbollah
fighters, who have joined the government in that civil war. Meanwhile,
Putin has said he has no doubt that Iran is adhering to international
agreements on nuclear non-proliferation. He has also accused America of
exaggerating Iran's intentions, "the United States uses Iran to unite
Western allies against some real or non-existent threat."

New England Patriot's owner Robert Kraft learned first hand how
President Putin operates. After offering the Russian president a chance
to hold his Super Bowl ring, Putin pocketed it. When word of the
incident made headlines, Putin had a suggestion. "I will ask a jewelry
firm to make a really good and big thing, so everyone will see it is a
luxury piece, made of quality metal and with a stone, so this piece will
be passed from generation to generation in the team whose interests are
represented by Mr. Kraft," he said. "This would be the smartest
solution partners can ever achieve while tackling such a complicated
international problem.”

For Putin, all of the world's a stage. But one prominent Russian
businessmen said of Putin, "We have two Putins. There are lots of words,
but the system doesn't work." Let's hope that Russians look beyond
Putin's gamesmanship and grandstanding to see that Putin is just a bad
actor.

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About Me

Advisor to new media companies, journalism professor at Hofstra and NYU. Huffington Post Blogger. Founded Telemundo Network News in 1999 and served as Executive Vice President until 2006. President of Fox News in 1995 - 96. Vice President and Assistant to the President CBS News, 1989-1995. CBS News Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, 1987-1989. THE CBS EVENING NEWS Senior Washington Producer, and earlier producer, 1979-1986. Producer CBS News Chicago bureau, 1976-1979. WBBM-TV News producer and assignment editor, 1970-1976.
Executive Vice-Chair of the Mental Health Association of NYC Board, Trustee at Gracie Square Hospital and Columbia College Chicago, and a member of the Council of Foreign Relations. MBA degree from Roosevelt U, 1978, BA from Columbia College Chicago, 1970.
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